The Importance of Plan-Wise Irregularity

In the framework of the experimental activity of the ELSA Laboratory of the JRC, an extensive PsD testing campaign was carried out on a doubly bi-eccentric plan-wise irregular R.C frame structure representative of non-seismically designed buildings widespread in Europe. In spite of the torsional irregularity being minor, the torsional response turned out to be quite significant, as a result of the choice of the seismic input. The op-portunity was thus taken of experimentally assessing the effects of irregularity on the seismic behaviour and to compare it to the effects of poor structural detailing and lack of basic seismic design requirements. Also, the effectiveness was assessed of two different retrofitting strategies, a ductility-only intervention and a strength-only one, in providing a satisfying seis-mic response and tackling the structural weaknesses detected by the tests in the unretrofitted configuration. Conclusions are thus drawn on the basic criteria to be taken into account when devising a retrofitting strategy for existing irregular buildings under strict time and budget constraints. Also, it is discussed if a reduction of torsional effects is a basic aim to be pursued in retrofitting under above said constraints or if it can be ne-glected in the decision making process, even though the role of tors

NEGRO Paolo;  MOLA Elena; 

2010-01-11

Springer-Verlag

JRC50785

978-90-481-2680-4,   

1573-6059,   

http://springer.com/978-90-481-2680-4,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC50785,   

10.1007/978-90-481-2681-1_5,